


Saving Nina

by ElasticElla



Category: Easy A (2010)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 00:49:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3270560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nina has a problem, Marianne has a solution or twenty, and one of them <i>is</i> going to work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saving Nina

**Author's Note:**

> or, I read freshbrains' lovely [drabble](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3259796) and was like 'new femslash fandom!' *flappy hands*

Marianne’s Monday started out well. She woke up early, took a shower, went to school, aced her test, went into town to hand out pamphlets to sinners, and went home and finished her homework. Her parents left at six pm sharp, heading to their favorite restaurant for their anniversary, and leaving the house quiet. In fact, Marianne’s Monday was very close to being the perfect start of her school week.

And then Nina called in tears.

As always when Nina cried, her words became unintelligible, and Marianne ordered that she come visit. Only living two streets away, it was always easy for sleepovers and impromptu hangouts- and if the works were necessary, she had ice cream and inspirational movies at the ready. 

Nina was still crying when Marianne got the door, and brought her up to her own room just in case the parents came back early. While obviously they wouldn’t mind Nina’s presence, both referred to her as their second daughter, Nina hated other people seeing her cry. 

They sit on her bed, the only real furniture option- the desk chair’s cushion was far too flat, and the wooden floor far too cold. Marianne hands her Mr. Snuggles, the large pink bear, but Nina only cries harder. 

“M-M-Mr. Sn-ug-gles I d-don’t,” she gasps out, and Marianne bites back a sigh and rubs her back. 

“Just let it all out, we’ll talk after.” 

Sometimes, Marianne wishes she didn’t like Nina so much. Only Nina could get away with crying in her arms without her snapping at her to get it together and stop feeling sorry for herself. Bridget had tried once, in fifth grade. For an unrelated reason, Bridget switched schools in sixth grade- but for the year in-between she couldn’t meet Marianne’s eyes. 

Marianne supposed it wasn’t very nice of herself. But was it really nice to just let someone wallow in self-pity? Nice or not, she doesn’t push Nina; times like these, Nina required a delicate touch. Nina takes a deep shaky breath and wipes her face one last time. Marianne smiles encouragingly, hoping she doesn’t appear too impatient. 

“I broke up with Jordan.”

“What happened? Did he cheat on you? I’m more than willing to kick him out of our Thursday night prayer circle.” 

Nina squeezes one of Marianne’s hands- a good sign-, and says, “No, he wanted to have sex.”

“Boys,” Marianne says, almost a growl, “they’re despicable.” 

Nina nods, and Marianne tacks on, “It might not feel that way now, but that _was_ the right decision.” 

Nina’s crying again, and Marianne hugs her close so Nina can say whatever it is without them looking at one another. They’d established it back in second grade when Marianne didn’t know how to deal with a teacher that was most certainly going to hell. 

“You can tell me anything,” Marianne says, arms tightening, “no matter what, I’ll be right here.” 

There’s a beat and a sniff, and Nina says, “The worst part... was that I _wanted_ to have sex too. I don’t know what to do- I’m not going to, and I won’t touch myself, but it aches and--” 

Nina’s quiet, unstable but at least not crying. Marianne counts it as progress.

Marianne pulls back slightly, so they’re face to face again, and the words come simple. “You just need an alternative.” 

Nina looks hopeful for the first time this evening, and Marianne is feeling confident, “I promise, we’ll find something. Tomorrow we’ll start with knitting.” 

Knitting does not go well. It doesn’t discourage either girl, and Marianne has a list of the top twenty habit-forming hobbies for Nina to try. She also tries them of course, because she is an excellent friend and wants to ensure their spots in heaven are saved. (It’s definitely not related to that one dream that will not be discussed after Nina came to her with The Problem.)

A month passes, and none of the hobbies have gone well. Fishing was a bust, far too much patience was required, for the same reason yoga and meditation also go poorly. Out of all the sporty things they tried- croquet, polo, cheerleading (God’s Warriors- the school’s first fully clad, fully righteous squad dispersed after two days), tennis, and archery- only polo was close to being good. Naturally, Marianne falls off the big dutch warmblood, and Nina swears they’ll find something else. The arts don’t go especially well, Nina getting disheartened whenever it doesn’t come out just right. Writing in particular, goes _horribly_. 

“Just write whatever comes to mind,” Marianne reads off a writer's inspiration website, “just keep writing and don’t stop for thirty minutes, even if the words stop making sense.” 

Nina is typing away, and Marianne starts a happy little allegory about two women who save a whole town and then go to heaven. It’s obviously fiction since their names are Veena and Annie. A half hour passes, and while Marianne is done, she keeps typing so that Nina will continue. She stops ten minutes later, and Nina is still going, completely in the zone. Curious, Marianne leans over and skims a few lines. 

“ _Nina_! Writing pornography is not the answer!” 

Nina’s flushed dark, and if Marianne is flushed too, well it’s only out of embarrassment.

.

Two months later, Nina breaks at lunch. Luckily, they’re alone outside. 

“-so I was thinking we could try pottery, and I know-”

“There’s no point Marianne, I’m just… not good. I’ve tried so many things, I’ve prayed so hard, and nothing, _nothing_ , has worked. I-I think we just both need to accept t-that I’m a sinner.” 

The blonde squeezes her friend’s hand, “Just one more thing. Not pottery. I had a backup plan, just in case.”

“You’re too good to me,” Nina says, blinking back tears. 

“No such thing silly, now, are you ready for our math test?” 

.

They meet at Nina’s since her parents will be gone. It’s a factor that doesn’t usually play into where they end up, but Marianne’s taking no chances of witnesses. She came to the solution after excessive googling, and it’s the only plausible one left. 

They’re sitting cross-legged on Nina’s couch, close, knees knocking. It’s familiar, and Marianne grounds herself in that. 

“Lesbianism.” 

Nina’s eyes go wide, “B-but that’s a sin, that’s...”

“Undefined actually. And two women obviously can’t have sex, so problem solved.” 

“Who-,” Nina begins before stopping herself, “no, they’d tell. Any of them would.”

Marianne swallows, “Me.”

Nina’s eyes are dark again, and if it weren’t so gorgeous she’d worry about possible demon possession. She looks positively sinful, and Marianne reminds herself that this is just to save her friend.

“You’re sure?” Nina asks, hands moving up from her shoulders to hair. It makes Marianne feel a little less grounded, a little more excited- and she quashes the feeling, nodding. 

“I’d do anything for you.” 

Nina offers a grateful smile, and a moment later their lips touch. It’s nothing like kissing a boy. Nina tastes familiar, though she can’t place what it is, and she feels familiar- the same back and hair she’s pet a million times before. When she was briefly dating Micah, he used to taste like sin- his kisses always devouring and full of pressure. Nina is fluid and they trade easy kisses, neither pushing, with delicate touches. 

It’s perfect.

They stop an hour later, and Nina hugs her tightly. “Thank you- I feel so much better.” 

Marianne and Nina progress slowly. Slowly enough, that Marianne doesn’t even realize they were progressing until Nina’s hand is pushing up her shirt. This is the moment she realizes she might be in over her head. 

Twenty minutes later, she’s pretty sure that lesbians _can_ have sex.


End file.
